Chapter 1
When Lizzie and Violet went public with their relationship, Kelly and Stella were their biggest supporters right from the start. Stella was the one who talked Lizzie down when she was worried about Violet having yet another Evan-related panic attack and she thought it was all her fault. It was Kelly who Violet turned to for date ideas. Stellaride and Novakami (their nicknames given by the house, as much as they hated the nicknames, sometimes they felt cute.) held their place on the relationship wall of fame.
Lizzie and Kelly were always the strong ones. The ones who picked their girls up when they fell. Violet and Stella were the soft ones - despite the absolute badasses that they are. That’s how it had always been. No one had ever complained, no one had ever faltered.
Until today.
They had been called to a structural fire, a big one. 7 floors - fire all throughout.
They had a victim caught on the 4th floor who needed immediate attention but they couldn’t get her out without risking her life.
So; they called for a paramedic.
Every Ambo on scene had 2 patients minimum, but 61 didn’t have any major injuries on their hands, so Violet offered.
She had left Lizzie with two teenagers, one with a small cut on her forearm, and the other with minor burns and smoke inhalation.
At the time, Lizzie had admired her girlfriend’s bravery, watching her put her EMS bunker gear on and heading into the building with one last look over her shoulder as she headed in with Stella by her side.
She had smiled that ever so Violet smile, and now Lizzie didn’t know if she would ever see that smile again.
In actuality, it had only been about 30 seconds since the mayday call came in - but time had stopped the second Hermman’s voice came on the radio.
“Mikami and Kidd are down on 3! I need someone in here right now!”
What Lizzie didn’t know, was that when her world stopped, Kelly’s did too.
Lizzie had heard ALL the stories about Kelly and Stella’s incidents, and she had been there when Kelly got kidnapped.
She assumed he would stay calm.
She was wrong.
Lizzie was snapped out of her frozen world when she heard Cruz yelling.
“Severide! Let Truck handle it! You can’t go in there!”
Lizzie watched as Tony and Capp held Kelly back, physically stopping him from going inside.
And that brings us to now, where for some reason - and she’s sure Violet will berate her for it later - she decides to simply abandon 61 and run to Kelly.
“What-what’s going on in there?” Lizzie stammers
Kelly doesn’t speak, neither of them is sure he has the physical ability to.
So, Cruz speaks up, “Violet and Stella are trapped on 3, a pole came down as they were climbing the stairs and that’s all we know. They are going to be fine.” Lizzie actually scoffs at that last part.
Then their radios come to life again, and they can hear Carver from inside. “I’ve got Stella! She’s out cold, Violet’s barely hanging on. Ritter, where are you?”
Those 5 words, out cold, barely hanging on they send panic into Kelly and Lizzie. A pain so bad they can feel it in their bones.
“I’m going in.” Lizzie blurts out, part of her is terrified at the thought, but most of her just wants to grab Violet tight and never let go.
“No. You can’t.” Severide speaks, he actually speaks.
“Kelly come-” Lizzie can’t even finish her sentence before she’s interrupted.
“Both of you. Away, now.” It’s Pascal yelling at them now.
As Lizzie looks up, she expects his typical ‘chief stare’ but she’s instead met with a look of pure sympathy, she’s not sure why exactly, but she assumes that it’s because he’s seen so much of this himself.
“Yes Chief.” Severide’s response is a sigh whereas Lizzie’s is more of a murmur.
Lizzie makes her way back to 61 to where the two teens are sitting with small smiles.
Lizzie tries to smile back but it’s hard. Still, she manages a small smile.
Then, she hears Kelly behind her.
“Novak.” Shit. He’s Novak-ing her.
Kelly and her have been on a first name basis since about 6 months into her time at 51, just before she came out to the house. They’ve only ever used last names when it’s serious.
“Yeah Kelly, what do you need?” She isn’t even trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.
“Turn off your radio.” Kelly’s tone is oddly calm.
“What?” Lizzie wants to question him further when she hears it.
“She’s trapped! Mouch, we need you!”
Kelly reaches for her radio and snatches it from her belt.
He turns it off and Lizzie lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding.
“Hearing the radio only makes it worse.” Kelly explains ever so calmly as he hands back her radio.
“Thanks…” Lizzie isn’t totally sure what to say, but thanks will work.
They stand there for a minute.
“Shouldn’t you be with Squad?” Lizzie asks once the silence starts to feel deafening.
Kelly chuckles a little and Lizzie wants to punch him - how can he be laughing right now?
“Chief and I had a talk once he finally decided to drop his whole vendetta against Stella and I. The gist of it was that the second Stella gets put in danger, I’m no longer allowed to help out - he said something about not letting my emotions get in the way.”
Lizzie isn’t sure what to do, she can hear the bustling around her and the yelling and screaming and the paramedic in her wants her to go help…but she can’t.
“What do we know?” Lizzie says before she can think about it.
“We wait, together.” Kelly smiles just a little as he moves to take Lizzie’s hand - she lets him.
***
They end up sitting on a slab of concrete.
Lizzie and Kelly are both shaking, Lizzie more aware of it than Kelly.
Stella was always the one who calmed Kelly down when he got like this, the one who held him and told him everything would be fine.
They sat there for what felt like hours, in pure silence, both thinking the same thing.
What if I never see her again?
***
It takes 18 minutes, 42 seconds for them to get Stella out.
An additional 2 minutes and 9 seconds for Violet to be pulled out.
Kelly rushes to his wife’s side the second she’s in his sight. Lizzie can hear him saying something, but she doesn’t care.
Just over 2 minutes may have been 2 hours, time feels non existent as Lizzie stares at the exit Carver dragged Stella through, just praying that her worst fears weren’t true.
Violet comes out covered in soot and unconscious in Ritter’s arms.
It’s a sight Lizzie will never forget, no matter how hard she tries.
Her legs think before her head and she’s sprinting to the stretcher Violet is actively being placed on.
She grabs Violet’s hand and squeezes it tight, holding it like her life depends on it - it feels like it does.
“I’m here baby I’m here.” Lizzie whispers as she takes in Violet’s condition - it’s even more terrifying than seeing her dad’s body at his funeral.
”Novak, you can’t help us.” Hermann reminds her, and Lizzie wants to scream.
But she doesn’t, instead she kisses Violet’s soot covered hand and steps away.
She watches as Ambulance 24 takes Violet into the back and drives away to Med.
Then she hears Pascal from over her shoulder.
”Take 61, you and Kelly can go to Med, we’ll meet you there when we can.”\
Lizzie just nods. She can’t speak, she doesn’t know if she can.
***
Once they sit down, they don’t leave the seats.
Kelly has his head in his hands and Lizzie is curled up in a ball.
Dr Asher had came and seen them when they first got to Med, her news wasn’t great - both women were stable and being taken into surgery, Violet for some internal bleeding and Stella for a hip fracture.
Hannah had assured them multiple times that they would both be okay and back to work in a matter of weeks, but her reassurance did nothing to ease the battle going on in their heads.
After 4 hours, 12 updates, 19 coffees and 7 cries between the two of them, Dr Lenox came out to tell them that Violet and Stella had just been placed in the ICU for recovery and they could both see their respective partners.
It felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders, but one still weighed down on their chest.
***
Lizzie can’t help but admire Violet, even in her current state, she just looks so gorgeous - despite the soot smothered in her hair and cuts all down her neck.
Lizzie keeps thinking about what Violet must of gone through, what she felt, thought, maybe even saw.
Just as her mind goes back to that terrible place, Kelly comes in.
”How is she?” Kelly asks while pulling up a chair to join Lizzie by Violet’s hospital bed.
”Lenox said she should wake up any minute.” Suddenly Lizzie realises that if Kelly is here - Stella must be alone. “Why aren’t you with Stella?”
Her mind goes to all the worst case scenarios - another surgery, a scan, a coma, even death.
And then Kelly speaks up.
”She woke up about an hour ago but she needed a nap and wanted a report on her quote un-quote “trauma buddy””
They both laugh a little, it’s a nice break from the battle in their heads.
”She’ll be awake soon Lizzie, you don’t have to worry.” Kelly assures her.
”You say that like that’s easy.” Lizzie jokes.
”I know, but sometimes it helps to hear it.”
Kelly places his hand on her’s and she smiles.
Kelly Severide is a good man, and an even better friend.